ISLAMABAD (January 10 2004): To ensure import of high quality wheat, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) has asked the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) to check the approved documents/specifications of imported wheat for clearance of wheat consignments at the ports.

Tax authorities have to follow the Minfal specifications for levying zero-percent customs duty on the import of wheat under the recently issued SRO(I)/2003 of December 15, 2003.

Official sources told Business Recorder here on Friday that the collectors of customs will check radiation certificate, health certificate and fumigation certificate.

These documents should accompany the cargo and made available to the buyer of import consignment at the discharge port ie Pakistan.

Under special requirements, the minimum quantity of wheat to be imported should be 25,000 tonnes. It should be free of kernel and striga seed and fit for human consumption. Moreover, it should be treated with phosphene.

The CBR has recently amended SRO.358(I)/2002 to withdraw 25 percent customs duty on the import of wheat. However, the notification has specified that the Minfal will monitor the quality and standard of the wheat imported by the private sector on the basis of minimum specifications.

SPECIFICATIONS: The Minfal has given the following minimum specifications to be followed by the customs while examining consignments of imported wheat:

Category, soft white or medium hard white wheat, in bulk; test weight 76 kg/HL min; protein 10 per cent min; moisture contents 10 per cent maximum; foreign matter 0.5 per cent maximum; wet gulten 26-28 per cent (tolerance limit); falling number, 450/sec minimum; shrunken and broken kernel, two per cent minimum; damage grains (sprouted, heat damaged etc) 0.5 per cent maximum; edible grains other than wheat 1 per cent maximum; color original; mycotoxin, not more than 5 parts per billion; dockage total deductible, over one half of one per cent (0.5 per cent); fit for human consumption, yes; should meet quarantine requirements of Pakistan; ergot, nil; dioxin free; free from dead/live insects and other larvae; not generally modified and heavy metal, within WHO permissible limits.

Besides, special requirements have also been laid down for the import of wheat.

Courtesy Business Recorder